AI to reduce employment in many firms over next 5 years, Adecco

Artificial intelligence will lead to many companies employing fewer people in the next five years, staffing provider Adecco Group said on Friday, in a new survey highlighting the upheaval AI will bring to the workplace.

Some 41% of senior executives expect to have smaller workforces because of AI technology, Adecco said in a report based on a survey of executives at 2,000 large companies worldwide.

Generative AI, which can create text, photos and videos in response to open-ended prompts, has spurred both hope it could eliminate repetitive tasks and fear it will make some jobs obsolete.

Companies needed to prepare for the disruption by training their staff to work with AI, Machuel said, rather than relying on recruiting specialists from outside.

Adecco polled businesses in the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Canada, Australia and Singapore. Sectors covered included defence, pharma, healthcare, industry and logistics.

The Swiss company, which uses AI itself, for example in helping create resumes for clients, also sees the technology offering “massive opportunity” in its work with customers.

“We already engaged in training and up-skilling people on behalf of our clients,” Machuel said. “We’ve sold a lot of consulting projects and the ramp-up that we see on that is quite interesting.” Reuters